Kings Landing, New Brunswick — Attraction in New Brunswick

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Celebration of the Past—and an Unforgettable Ride!

Wow. Where do I even begin? From the moment we arrived at Kings Landing, this place swept us off our feet and dropped us straight into the heart of 19th-century rural New Brunswick. Set amidst a scenic bend of the Wolastoq (Saint John River) just 20 minutes west of Fredericton, it's like stepping into a living storybook full of life, colour, and history—crafted from over 70 original or relocated buildings rescued when the Mactaquac Dam was built .

Everywhere you look, costumed interpreters—blacksmiths, printers, farmers, and homemakers—are bustling around, ready to chat, demonstrate their crafts, or even invite you to lend a hand. It’s immersive in the best possible way .

But here’s the real crown jewel: the horse-drawn wagon rides. Reliable and charming, these rides are complimentary, family-favorite experiences that shuttle visitors across the expansive grounds from hop-on points—just flag one down anywhere along the gravel road and off you go . The majestic Percheron and Belgian horses trudge gently through the village, offering restful breaks between exploring—perfect for sightseeing, photography, or just breathing in the fresh country air . One visitor shared how the ride “had a ramp so even my grandmother could enjoy it,” making it wonderfully inclusive .

We hopped on, took in the sights of the Jones Stone House (1830s), the print shop clinking with authentic type, the sawmill whose machinery makes the floors tremble with power—and we savored every moment under the gentle sway of our carriage .

Dining at the King’s Head Inn Restaurant was the icing on the cake—cozy, warm, and in full period style, with both traditional and modern fare served amid historic charm. Our whole table ordered different dishes and every single one was a 10/10. I had the perfectly golden fish and chips—crispy, light, and full of flavor. My husband went for the turkey pot pie, which was rich, hearty, and packed with tender turkey and vegetables. One of my daughters ordered the Caesar salad and declared it the best Caesar salad she’s ever had. My other daughter tucked into a grilled cheese sandwich that was perfectly buttery and melty. My Nana chose the hamburger, her husband ordered the cheeseburger, and both said they were among the best they’ve ever eaten.

In short, Kings Landing is a masterpiece of immersive history—full of heart, authenticity, farm animals, artifacts, awe-inspiring rides, and neighbors who feel like they stepped right out of the 1800s. I left feeling like I’d traveled across time, and I can’t wait to go back.

I highly recommend getting on the horse drawn wagon at the entrance and taking it all the way through the park and making your way back through via walking. By the time you get back to the restaurant, you'll have worked up an appetite.

Can’t recommend this enough—truly Canada’s gem for hands-on,...

Going to Kings Landing is an annual adventure with our family and we absolutely love it. Of course, we expect it to stay pretty much the same - check out the agricultural building, stop into the print shop, visit with the numerous animals at the barn and then cross the stream at the mill (with working waterwheel) to visit the village, stopping for lunch.

Even with 2 young children (1.5 and 5 months) who have almost no interest in being inside a house, the walk alone is worth the 20$ adult admission. Situated along the river, it's got a nice breeze and always some shade available to make a wonderful walk.

During the weekends, there are additional events in the town - from log pulling, log tosses, learning how wood was sawed using a horse, sything, and even a sing along at the church.

The actors are positively jovial and so pleasant. Our oldest son interacted with two lovely women playing a game involving round cuts of wood...he loved bringing the wooden circles back to them and they were so sweet with him.

Ending the day with a wagon ride back to the beginning is possibly the most anticipated part of the visit back in time.

The only problem we had while visiting Kings Landing was the restaurant which was rather disappointing - the lemonaid and bread are always awesome (I remember it from 20+ years ago when I went for the first time) but the service was incredibly slow (only 2 waitresses on a busy weekend from what we could tell) and things like ketchup, pickles from my meal, my son's drink, etc were forgotten until later. We were also not offered a high chair and ended up finding one ourselves. If you have small children, it almost might be worth packing a small lunch or having dinner before you go. The wait was almost an hour and it really did seem just understaffed that day.

The gift shop is okay, it's generic crafts with 'kings landing' put on it or a few handmade crafts which are extremely expensive but a fun memento. The best souvenir is always the print shop bookmarks - and they're free.

Finally, this year we either came at the right time or there is a new element to K.L. There are special 2hr- classes for 30$ on different weekends. My husband is now signed up for the Blacksmith class and will be learning to make a nail and a hook while learning a bit more about something he's interested in. It's an absolutely fantastic idea and for someone who has a specific interest in historical jobs/hobbies, this is perfect!

As always, we'll be back next year (and for many years to come). It's the perfect family location, doesn't allow smoking apart from a few very secluded smoking spots far away from the crowd, and is...

Went with our entire family on a family trip. Interested to learn about the history, of note the entire place is a reenactment with actors playing the part. The buildings and life that they portray are very interesting.

Some of the older actors are very good, providing lots of history and answering questions. The younger actors staged in the blacksmith shop and who performed the dance really need to be educated on how to act properly especially when portraying a period in history. The blacksmith area was really poorly acted. In addition, we caught the 3 PM barn dance, which was not well orchestrated, laughable at times, with no historical context. The actors appeared to have never practiced this dance before and were very amateur. Most of the audience was just laughing and left promptly not waiting for them to finish.

The horse carriage was a major hit among our family, especially with the kids. Staff at the visitor center were excellent, and very enthusiastic, providing lots of guidance.

Overall, would recommend as a visitor tourist site, but keep your expectations low and do your research...